Levers of Service Supply Chain Optimization – A Series

Posted on March 16, 2012 by skirstein

Preface

So many enterprises are now recognizing that a well-run service organization can be a critical success factor, by helping to differentiate themselves against competitors on the basis of service excellence.

The question then becomes, ‘how do you get there?’; and the answers are numerous, and the complexity can be daunting.

By briefly discussing and examining the various levers available to organizations to improve and, ultimately, optimize their service organizations and related supply chain workflows, we will help you to identify what steps you or your colleagues will need to take to get from the current state, to service supply chain excellence.Learn more about OnProcess SSCO

Whether improving revenue streams, reducing direct or indirect costs, cutting cycle times or Capital Expenditures, there is almost always room for improvement – and often the first challenge is realizing that there is a problem. Awareness begins with measurement.

So, watch this space for ideas, metrics, solutions and real-life examples of Service Supply Chain Optimization — and if your interest is more urgent, reach out to us today to accelerate the discussion.

 

-sk

 

Posted in Customer Understanding Research, Dispatch, OnProcess, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Triage | Tagged , |

Webinar March 22: KPMG’s Grant Gordon – Optimize Your Service Supply Chain

Posted on March 13, 2012 by skirstein

Register now!

Optimize Your Service Supply Chain – A Webinar with KPMG’s Grant Gordon, hosted by OnProcess Technology, Inc.

Join us for a Webinar on March 22

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/717399385

OnProcess Technology, Inc. is pleased to host an informative Webinar featuring Grant S. Gordon, Managing Director of KPMG’s Technology Industry Advisory Services Group.

Join service supply chain expert, Grant S. Gordon, as he reveals how businesses can transform customer service operations from a necessary cost center to a profitable revenue generator and competitive differentiator. This presentation will shed light on how firms, without incurring significant expenditure, can leverage their existing supply chain to reap recurring profits throughout the life cycles of their products.

A real-world case study example will be included.

Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to gain insights into ways to improve your service supply chain operations, and engage with our guests in questions and discussion.

Title: Optimize Your Service Supply Chain – A Webinar with KPMG’s Grant Gordon, hosted by OnProcess Technology, Inc.
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

 

Posted in OnProcess, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization | Tagged , , , , |

Attending Field Service 2012? Get a Discounted Rate on Us!

Posted on March 12, 2012 by skirstein

http://www.wbresearch.com/fieldserviceusa/home.aspx

OnProcess Technology will be one of the sponsors and exhibitors at this year’s Field Service event in Las Vegas, April 16-19.

If you’re considering attending, we’re glad to make it a little easier – just enter our hosting code, 107236XV90, when prompted in the registration process and you’ll receive a 25% discount on the applicable rate!

Once you’ve registered, let us know and we’ll be glad to set up a time to talk with you about your particular Field Service and Service Supply Chain operational challenges.

–sk

Posted in OnProcess, RMA management, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization | Tagged , , , , , |

OnProcess in the News

Posted on March 1, 2012 by skirstein

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/605505

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9238845.htm

 

Posted in advanced exchange, Asset Recovery, Asset Retrieval, Asset Retrieval, OnProcess |

Save the Date – Thursday March 22

Posted on February 23, 2012 by skirstein

If you’re involved in the service supply chain world, you’ll want to save the date: Thursday March 22. At 2 PM Eastern time, OnProcess Technology will host an exclusive, informative Webinar and discussion by one of the industry’s leading experts in service supply chain optimization.

Following the event, all attendees will receive a copy of our expert’s latest White Paper on the topic of Service Supply Chain Optimization. Please mark your calendar now, and our formal announcement will follow soon.

If you’re interested in attending, and are not currently on our monthly newsletter, please subscribe (you can use the button to the right), or otherwise let us know and we’ll ensure you receive an invitation.

Hope to ‘see’ you there!

 

–sk

Posted in OnProcess, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization | Tagged , , |

Aberdeen Blog Post: Repair, Refurbishment and Return: Does Your Customer Expect Failure?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by skirstein

Repair, Refurbishment and Return: Does Your Customer Expect Failure?

2012 FEBRUARY 16

Does your organization have full visibility into what happens when a customer has a failing part or product? As a service leader, you may be thinking that everything is fine because your outsourced partner is efficiently managing the customer’s returns and repairs. Or, your operations team is on the job and working around the clock to fix those parts/products and ensure the customer gets another one fast. But what if this isn’t happening to the standard that you assume, or worst yet, to the standard that your customer expects?I am excited to tackle the topic of Repair, Refurbishment and Returns as it relates to service spare parts and products, and have launched a research survey to better understand the challenges and best practices tied to this important operational process. Throughout our research over the past few years, we have seen that the customer expects faster, consistent and more reliable service. However, as seen in our State of Service Management research (January 2012), organizations polled reported that they were just above average when it comes to delivering a consistent service experience to the customer (3.5 on 1-5 scale, 1-Poor 5-Excellent).

Can your organization afford to be just above average when customers have options in an ever more crowded service landscape? For this reason, organizations can’t allow any aspect of their service brand to suffer from inefficiency. The repair, refurbishment and return operations are not immune to this need to improve.

Often times the repair and return operations are thought of as a negative situation due to the fact that a part or product broke or is not running optimally.  However, these operations are viewed by the Best-in-Class as an opportunity to leverage this customer interaction and maximize the value of the service opportunity. And as customers attempt to pull every last drop of value out of their equipment/parts in a down economy, top performing service organizations are able to manage the repair and return processes to avoid customer dissatisfaction, cultivate new revenue streams and cut out costly inefficiencies.

If the repair, refurbishment and return operations within your business are not running as smoothly as you (your customers) would like or if you are performing at a Best-in-Class level and would like to share, please participate in my survey.

We have already had over 100 service organizations take part and would like to better understand what you are doing well, where you can improve, or why you chose to outsource your repair/return operations. For participating in this 15-20 minute survey you will receive a complimentary copy of the findings upon publication in early April 2012.

 

Posted in Customer Care, Customer Experience Management, Customer Understanding Research, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization | Tagged , , , |

Dip Your Toe Into Service Supply Chain Optimization (SSCO)

Posted on February 1, 2012 by skirstein

The Service Supply Chain, a subset of the overall supply chain concept, deals specifically with the operations and experiences of providing post-sale service. The challenge for a large enterprise to successfully organize, plan, source, operate, fulfill and reconcile the post-sale service supply chain in an efficient, customer-centric & cost-effective manner is formidable.

Most of us who have been on the end-user side of the equation have little or no idea of the scale and scope of this challenge; that being said, most of us also don’t care – the universe of post-sale service revolves around us and our particular need at the time. Successfully address my concerns, and you have earned my loyalty (at least for the moment). Handle it improperly, inefficiently or clumsily, and I may unsubscribe, change companies, abandon your product or even publicly berate you in social media or in person.

But you, our typical reader, know all of this. It’s your responsibility, in total or at least in part, to ensure that one or more of the following occurs:

  • Service Parts are sourced in the most efficient way possible, and located at the optimal quantity in the right location to enable quick transport to a client’s location in order to maintain a Service Level Agreement (SLA)
  • Service calls are addressed efficiently and in a customer-focused manner, while ensuring that Warranty Entitlement is checked, Orders and/or RMAs are created without error
  • In some cases identifying the likely cause of a problem and, if possible, addressing the issue at the time of the call rather than requiring parts or technicians to be dispatched
  • When necessary, dispatching parts (the correct parts) and/or technicians in a timely manner to ensure resolution within the SLA
  • Ensuring timely return of the defective or replaced parts
  • Getting complete reconciliation and closure of all service events, with data analysis and learning to enable continuous improvement.

Doing any or all of the above, balancing the best end-user experience with the most efficient, cost-effective, stable and scalable operation, is a huge and ongoing challenge.

Which is why OnProcess Technology specializes in Service Supply Chain Optimization.

Have a look at this SSCO diagram, and let us know if you’d like to learn more.

OnProcess Service Supply Chain Optimization

 

–sk

 

 

Posted in Asset Recovery, Asset Retrieval, Asset Retrieval, Customer Care, Customer Experience Management, OnProcess, RMA administration, RMA management, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Spend Management, Warranty Management |

Spend Management: A Key Success Factor for Competitive Enterprises

Posted on January 27, 2012 by skirstein

Spend Management is a key component of competitive advantage for companies with increased focus on cost and compliance. By strategically addressing procedures, purchase sources and costs throughout all aspects of procurement, companies can lower their overall “cost floor” without negatively impacting any operation.

While software solutions have emerged in the procurement/spend management space, a more comprehensive service offering–including process management and the ability to utilize skilled, experienced personnel to execute and manage these processes– is often an attractive way to maximize the benefits of such a system without installation issues, IT support bottlenecks, learning curves and staffing challenges.OnProcess Technology SSCO - Spend Management

OnProcess Technology offers such a service offering (naturally!), within the rubric of our Service Supply Chain Optimization (SSCO) approach. You can learn more about OnProcess’ Spend Management capabilities at http://www.onprocess.com/spend_management.php, or just reach out to us using the big orange button to the right, or by your preferred method at http://www.onprocess.com/contact.php.

 

 

Posted in OnProcess, Spend Management |

Article: 100% of Surveyed Adults Bought a Consumer Electronics Device at Holiday

Posted on January 27, 2012 by skirstein

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/166581/survey-100-bought-ce-device-at-holiday.html?edition=42713

From MediaPost:

Survey: 100% Bought CE Device At Holiday

by Aaron Baar, Yesterday, 2:22 PM

So, here’s one to mull: According to an extensive survey of more than 4,200 adults, every one of them bought some sort of consumer electronics device during the holiday season.

That’s 100%. And not a “margin-of-error” 100%, either. A deep-dive into the survey results revealed that every one of the 4,200 people surveyed (from a representative demographic of the United States, median annual income of $50,000) answered in the affirmative when asked whether they had bought a consumer electronics device during their holiday shopping.

“I was floored,” Janet Eden-Harris, chief marketing officer at Market Force Information, which conducted the survey in January 2012, tells Marketing Daily. “It was a representative mix of consumers. It’s a representative sample [of demographics] and income levels. And every single one said they bought some kind of consumer electronics device.”

Video games and gear and televisions and accessories led the purchases. Thirty-two percent of consumers said they purchased video games, gear and accessories, while 31% said they bought TVs, DVDs and other equipment. Smartphones and digital cameras were tied for the third-most-popular gifts, at 24%, while 23% of survey respondents bought a computer. Despite the hype, iPads were cited by only 21% of respondents, while Kindles were cited by 20%.

“If we think about what the category has done over the last decade or 20 years, so many [devices] that didn’t exist before have become a must-have item and so many items have been incorporated into our daily routine,” Eden-Harris says. “They aren’t luxuries anymore; they’re must-haves.”

When it came to making those purchases, people generally preferred to head to a brick-and-mortar retailer instead of making online purchases. Among those surveyed, 100% said they bought at least one device from a retail store, while only 35% said they made a purchase online. The reasons people preferred retail locations included the ability to walk out of a store with a purchase, in-store promotions, to avoid shipping costs and to get a personal demonstration of the device.

When it comes to those in-store purchases, the sales associate plays a huge role in a consumer’s decision. According to the survey, more than three-quarters of shoppers said they were helped by a salesperson. Forty-four percent of them said they received a specific product recommendation from that salesperson, and 85% bought the product that was recommended.

“It tells you how critically important … having a knowledgeable salesperson is,” Eden Harris says.

Posted in Complex Consumer Electronics, Customer Care, Customer Experience Management, Customer Understanding Research |

Attend the RLTS Las Vegas Show at a $1500 Discount!

Posted on January 19, 2012 by skirstein

If you’re considering attending the RLTS 2012 show in Las Vegas, but haven’t yet signed up or are on the fence, please be our guest to a $1500 discount off the normal attendee registration fee!Reverse Logistics Association

Click on this link and you’ll have access to our special discounted rate  - and once you’re there, please stop by our booth (location M6 in the back row) and learn about our most recent innovations in Asset Retrieval and Recovery as well as our new and broader set of services collectively known as Service Supply Chain Optimization (SSCO).

Get the discounted rate!

Hope to see you there!

 

Posted in advanced exchange, Asset Recovery, Asset Retrieval, Asset Retrieval, OnProcess, Service Supply Chain Optimization, Service Supply Chain Optimization | Tagged , , |